Lionel Messi and defending champion Argentina advanced to the Copa America quarterfinals after a dramatic 88th-minute goal by Lautaro Martínez secured a 1-0 victory over Chile on Tuesday night.
After nearly 90 minutes of dominance, the breakthrough came in the final minutes. Lautaro Martínez scored following a series of rebounds, lifting the Albiceleste into the quarterfinals with a game to spare. “The ball ended up right at me and I was able to convert it,” said Martínez, who also scored in Argentina’s opening 2-0 win over Canada.
The decisive play started with a corner kick by Messi, which was directed towards the goal by Lisandro Martínez’s glancing header. The ball landed in front of Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravo amid a scramble involving Argentina’s Giovani Lo Celso and Chile’s Nicolás Fernández. After Lo Celso’s kick deflected off Bravo, the ball rebounded off Chile’s Igor Lichnovsky, who attempted to clear it wide. Lautaro Martínez, who entered the match in the 73rd minute, capitalized on the opportunity, scoring with a one-timed shot into the roof of the net. The goal, his 26th for the national team, was confirmed after a three-minute video review.
“We deserved the win. It was not an easy match,” said Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni. “We managed to win at the moment least expected.”
Argentina leads Group A with six points, followed by Canada with three, and Chile and Peru with one each. The Albiceleste will conclude the first round against Peru in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Saturday, while Canada faces Chile in Orlando, Florida.
Playing a day after his 37th birthday, Messi showcased his skills to a sellout crowd of 81,106 at MetLife Stadium, the venue for the 2026 World Cup final. Argentina dominated with 22 shots to Chile’s three and had 11 corner kicks to none for Chile. Chile’s first shot came in the 72nd minute.
Messi nearly scored in the 36th minute with a 30-yard shot that hit the post. Earlier, he received treatment on his right thigh after a challenge from Gabriel Suazo in the 24th minute. Nicolás González’s shot from a Messi pass in the 62nd minute was parried off the crossbar by Bravo.
Argentina had outshot Chile 17-0 before Rodrigo Echeverría’s 72nd-minute attempt, which was saved by Emiliano Martínez. The goalkeeper made another crucial save in the 76th minute, deflecting a shot from Echeverría with his right hand.
“I always have to save one or two every match. And I’m lucky to keep doing it,” Emiliano Martínez said.
The match was played on the 46th anniversary of Argentina’s first World Cup title, in the same stadium where Chile defeated Argentina on penalty kicks in the 2016 Copa America final, a loss that briefly led Messi to retire from international play.
At least 90% of the fans wore Argentina jerseys, most with Messi’s name and number. The field, installed over the usual artificial turf, had small brown patches behind one goal and was narrower due to construction for the upcoming World Cup.
Bravo, at 41 the oldest player in Copa America history, made eight saves in his 150th international appearance. He and Messi, former Barcelona teammates, led their teams onto the field for the national anthems.
“Losing this way leaves a bitter taste,” Bravo said. “We played against a tremendous opponent.”
